Armed for spiritual warfare (1)

Every day you live, you will battle the world, the flesh, and the devil. In order to be armed for spiritual warfare, Paul gave us six specific pieces of spiritual armour. Here are the first three: (1) The sturdy “belt of truth” (v. 14 NLT). During World War II, a plane flew many miles past its destination. Why? Because the crew, not realizing there were such strong tailwinds, refused to believe the cockpit instruments. As a result, everyone on board perished. Yet when the plane was found years later, the instruments were still in perfect working order. You can depend on God’s Word to guide you right. Read it daily and believe it, no matter what your mind or emotions tell you. (2) “The body armour of God’s righteousness” (v. 14 NLT). Note, it is God’s righteousness, not yours. You’re not saved by trusting your own performance but by trusting Christ’s performance on the cross. When you know that, God’s righteousness becomes the breastplate that protects your heart from doubts about your salvation (see 2 Corinthians 5:21). (3) “For shoes, put on…peace” (Ephesians 6:15 NLT). Shoes indicate you’re going somewhere, so don’t expect to hear from God if you’re determined to remain frozen in the same spot. When you start moving ahead, He confirms the rightness of your direction by giving you a sense of peace (see Colossians 3:15). You “know in your knower” that you’re on the right track. When you don’t have peace about it, seek God for direction. This is particularly important if you’re a self-starter who loves what you do. God wants you to have an abiding sense of His peace – so, don’t go without it.